WRESTLING COLUMNS

Making An Impact AgainDecember 9, 2006 by Joseph Santangelo

Editor's Notes: There are lots of columns posted on various topics, and sometimes there are multiple columns with similar topics. If you read a column (ANY column) and decide to send in feedback, PLEASE be sure to indicate which column you are responding to by typing the TITLE of the column in the subject line. Also, DO NOT FORGET to sign your name. Thanks!

About a decade ago, the wrestling business was at the highest point it ever had been at. On one side you had the WWF (now E) led by Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and the Undertaker. On the other you had WCW led by old timers such as Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, and Kevin Nash. While these two wrestling giants went at it every Monday night a smaller company was beginning to make a name for itself. This of course was ECW. Yes the old ECW, led by Tommy Dreamer, Taz, and The Sandman was making its own impact on the wrestling world. Their extreme style of wrestling changed the way the other promoters (mostly WWF) ran their companies. ECW showed how promoters how fans wanted to see wrestling run. The old ECW proved that wresting fans wanted to see a more extreme style wrestling, unlike that of the 80s. ECW made a huge impact on everyone, and without them the wrestling that we see today would be forever different. Today ECW is still making an impact on the wrestling world.

First off let me give you at little background on ECW's return to the world.

Current day 2006 Vince McMahon has produced a third brand of the WWE, seemingly reviving the old ECW. Or at least that is what he said. This revival started at this years ECW One Night Stand PPV with Rob Van Dam defeating John Cena to become the new WWE champion. For the next few weeks we would see RVD competing on RAW and ECW shows as both the ECW and the WWE champion. During the course of these weeks we saw that only few ECW originals (The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and Sabu) were getting pushed while the WWE was majorly pushing WWE originals such as Kurt Angle, The Big Show, Test, Hardcore Holly, and Mike Knox (I won't even get into Kelly Kelly.) On the weekend of the fourth of July, RVD and Sabu were both in a car and were arrested for possession of marijuana. When Vince McMahon found out about this, he had RVD lose the WWE title to Edge on an edition of RAW. The next day RVD lost the ECW title to the Big Show, thanks to a Paul Heyman heel turn "screwing" him out of the title. After that RVD was suspended for 30 days while Sabu only received a fine. For the next couple of months, we were forced to witness The Big Show not only squash RAW and Smackdown superstars such as The Undertaker, Ric Flair, and Kane, but we also had to witness the squashing of almost every ECW original on the roster.

Now let's bring you to early September. Kurt Angle has been released by the WWE after a settlement. We later find out that Kurt feels that Vince McMahon overworked him in WWE and ECW was the last straw. This is the beginning of how ECW has made an impact again.

In late October another wrestling company, TNA, shocked the world by hiring Kurt Angle.

In the past couple of weeks numerous rumors have been heard of WWE superstars wanting to make the jump to TNA. Two of these rumored superstars are Chris Benoit and Rey Mysterio. If you haven't heard already the WWE has just lost two other superstars as well. These two are Paul Heyman and The Big Show. In the Big Show's case he left for a reason similar to Kurt's. The Big Show now has major back problems and cannot keep up with the difficult schedule of the WWE. With about 3-4 shows a week, he is now unable to work this difficult schedule anymore. This week is his last time in a while to be in a WWE ring. Although a WrestleMania appearance with Hulk Hogan is possible, it is not likely. Paul Heyman's release comes after a big argument with Vince McMahon. Right off the heels of ECW's first WWE PPV December to Dismember (witch I think is the worst PPV of all time) Paul and Vince had a big argument witch resulted in the sending home of Paul E. Along with that, it seems that RVD and Sabu are not currently happy as well.

Since its revival, ECW has done nothing but drain the life out of the WWE. I am not saying that WWE is in major danger but it potentially could be. Just imagine if Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, RVD, Chris Benoit, Big Show, Paul Heyman, and Rey Mysterio all were to jump to TNA. The WWE would then be in some major trouble. ECW is indeed making an impact from the grave. I say from the grave because ECW truly is dead. This that we see today is not ECW and Vince McMahon's attempt to bring it back just may be his demise. The impact that ECW is starting to drive away many of the talents that the WWE holds dear. This failed revival of ECW has started to aid TNA on its quest to compete with the WWE and this impact may start to be felt even more.

the "Dark Angel" JB Barzahd wrote:
You know something Joe, I totally agree with some of the points you made in this article. When they publicly made it known that the WWE was gonna revive ECW, I was completely excited because I kinda figured, "... okay, with the capital WWE has, they can hire guys and keep the locker room's morale up, especially with Paul Heyman being the main writer and behind the wheel of this ship." Now that I've seen the product for nearly half a year, the only thing that I can say is that this "new revolution" is not only a completely botched pet project of good ol' Vincent Kennedy McMahon, it's also a complete disappointment. This new ECW or WWECW brand has not only taken away some credibility of the quote/unquote ECW Originals, but it has tarnished the name "E - C - W". I myself was a fan of the old ECW, back when no one would be worried if the whole building was lit up, if they got a couple of bumps or bruises, or back when ECW wasn't about pyro or fancy entrances and personally see this as a spit in the face of all that ECW was about.

But, in some ways, if done properly, this new ECW brand can be revived. I don't know if you realized this, but WWE has been known to have a few brain farts here and there and pull a victory out of their asses. They have the means and talent to revive this new ECW and usher forth a new renaissance of extreme. Okay I know Paul Heyman's gone..... but you still have someone who put his whole life into ECW.... someone who's always lived and bleed what that company stands by and lives by..... someone who's done everything for that company.... who goes by the name of Tommy Dreamer. You could always put him at the helm of ECW, seeing as he's probably done more than Paul E. did for ECW. Then looking at the roster of talent, active and developmental, that WWE has; ECW already has old wily vets like Sandman, Sabu, Dreamer, Rob Van Dam, Stevie Richards, and Balls Mahoney; then you have to include the very intense Bob "Hardcore" Holly; now you must look at the new talent pull with newer ECW wrestlers, such as CM Punk, Kevin Thorn, and Matt Striker, all of who are very good at what they do in the ring (especially my boy CM Punk); but then if you look at the talent pool in OVW and DSW, you could add to the new ECW roster guys like Sonny Siaki, Derrick Neikirk, Ryan O'Reilly, Tony Santorelli, the recently released Brent Albright and Kevin Matthews, and Oleg Prudius; then re-hire old vets like Whipwreck and Tajiri. And as far increasing competition on the brand, re-introduce old titles and introduce a new one in the for of the ECW Television and Tag Team Championships and, something I've thought up, ECW Light Heavyweight Championship.....

But..... this is all a pipe dream...... somethin' we all wish would happen but probably wouldn't. If the WWE officials or talent by some weird twist of fate is reading this rebuttal to something Joe stated in his earlier argument, heed this warning....... IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES AND SOON..... JUST LIKE ARMAGGEDON'S THEME SONG SAID.....
wrote: wrote: wrote:

If you have any comments, reactions, rebuttles or thoughts on this column, feel free to send them to the email below,
If your email is intelligently written, they will be posted underneath this messege..
We at OnlineWorldofWrestling want to promote all points of view, and that includes YOURS.